Reasons To Be Zen About Graduation

Reasons To Be Zen About Graduation

We’re graduating at the end of the year, and as the leaves fall from the trees and winter arises, that’s scarier than any Halloween movie coming out. But, even if you’re like me- an English major with no job lined up and no discernable talent or trust-fund – there are many more reasons to be calm than to panic.

1. You’ve Done This Before

The real world. Exciting, but scary. Suddenly, independence- you’re an adult!- and a suddenly new environment. Much more work, many more options, and a world full of strangers.

Sound like the first day of college? How’d that turn out? Was it, say, the best time of your life?

2. Things Are Better Than You Think

So, remember the big old spooky recession? It’s been going down. Everything you’ve heard about in regards to the job market is somewhat true but equally, it’s exaggerated. Calm down. People need to be employed. This is America (Americuh) and it’s the land of opportunity. You’ll have a college degree, the internet, and, probably, at least one pair of nice pants. Things can’t be too bad.

3. You Have Time

A lot can happen in eight months.

Even if you’re a senior and you’re panicking, you have eight more months of college. Eight extra months of working to save some cash, eight more months of looking for opportunities, and eight more months of growing up. That last one sounds minor, but think back eight months to the winter of last year. Don’t you feel more competent than that guy? At the very least you don’t wear those stupid hats.

And if you’re reading this as a Junior or something shhhhhhhh. You’re going to be fine, youngin’. You’re going to be fine.

4. You’re Better Than You Think

So, I don’t have much of a degree. My marketable skills aren’t especially marketable unless you count freestyle rapping, and you shouldn’t. I want to go into writing or comedy or both, two professions universally known as the future waiters of America. Furthermore, I have no idea how to be a real-live adult.

So why am I not worried?

Have you seen everyone else?

The vast, vast majority of college graduates get by in America. Literally millions of twenty-somethings are employed in the United States, and what, you think they’re better than you? People are the same all over. All of those clerks, accountants, programmers, writers, tutors, marketers and consultants used to be just like you. They were drunk and scared and confused just like you. And they grew up, figured out their stuff, and got jobs just like you.

You’re going to be fine.

5. Youth

Youth is a great thing, and we’re scared to lose it.

“I feel so old” is something a lot of my friends say. They said it turning 19, turning 20, 21, and 22 with increasing worry.

The best years of life, let’s say, are between 18 and 28. Now, that’s a very narrow range, but let’s go with that. You’re less than halfway done with that. At 21, you’re less than a third of the way done with that.

And let’s think for a second: remember when you were 19?

“What an idiot!” you’re thinking. Back then you didn’t know good beer, couldn’t take the good classes, couldn’t find good parties, couldn’t find good (bad) girls or anything else. Now though, now you’re cool.

Wrong. Two years from now you’ll think you were stupid. “I can’t believe I wasn’t drinking Whiskey!” you’ll be thinking. “Or eating good food! Or cooking! Or not living in (new city) with (new friends) and my new girlfriend, (Rihanna’s hotter cousin.) But now I don’t want to grow up. Now it’s perfect.

Two years after that it’ll be the same sort of thing. You’ll wonder why you had such a bad apartment, such a lame car, and why you didn’t ride your hover-board.

Growing up is cool. Everything so far has improved. No matter how old you get, there will always be friends, food, alcohol, weed, parties, sex, hamburgers, and adventure. Those are the constants and with constants like those, there’s no need to fear growing up or change.

You can graduate from college, but the lifestyle stays.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lev Novak is a Junior and English major at Tufts University. He has currently shopping his first novel, and has previously written for College Humor. Lev also claims to be the second-best freestyle rapper at his school, which, if we're honest, is one of the sadder boasts we've ever heard.

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